Characters Characters are people based on certain characteristics that are apparent through a wide variety of texts.
Character List and Description Kate Morkan - One of the aging sisters who throw an annual dance party in “The Dead.” Kate is
vivacious but constantly worries about her sister, Julia, and the happiness of the guests. Julia Morkan - One of the aging sisters who throw an annual dance party in “The Dead.” Julia has a grey and sullen appearance that combines with her remote, wandering behavior to make her a figure sapped
of life. Mary Jane Morkan - Kate and Julia's niece who is a piano teacher. Lily - The housemaid to the Morkan sisters who rebukes Gabriel in “The Dead.” Gabriel Conroy - The protagonist from “The Dead.” A university-educated teacher and writer, Gabriel struggles with simple social situations and conversations, and straightforward questions catch him off guard. He feels out of place due to his highbrow literary endeavors. His aunts, Julia and Kate Morkan,
turn to him to perform the traditionally male activities of carving the goose and delivering a speech at
their annual celebration. Gabriel represents a force of control in the story, but his wife Gretta’s fond and
sad recollections of a former devoted lover make him realize he has little grasp on his life and that his marriage lacks true love. Gretta Conroy - Gabriel’s wife in “The Dead.” Gretta plays a relatively minor role for most of the story, until the conclusion where she is the focus of Gabriel’s thoughts and actions. She appears mournful and distant when a special song is sung at the party, and she later plunges into despair when she tells Gabriel the story of her childhood love, Michael Furey. Her pure intentions and loyalty to this boy unnerve Gabriel and generate his despairing thoughts about life and death. Freddy Malins - A drunk and a friend of Gabriel's. Mr. Browne - A friend of the Morkan sisters. Molly Ivors - The nationalist woman who teases Gabriel during a dance in “The Dead.” Michael Furey - Gretta Conroy’s childhood love in “The Dead” who died for her long ago.
Types of Characters Flat Characters
These are two-dimensional characters where the reader knows little about them. Due to this, flat
characters are most likely minor characters with smaller significance to the plot.
In "The Dead", the flat characters are Mary Jane Morkan, Lily, Molly Ivors, Freddy Malins, Mr. Browne,
and Michael Furey. The readers do not know anything about these characters except who they are,
a bit of their personality, and how they relate to the protagonist of the story. Other than that, very little
information is given about them by the author.
Round Characters
These are the opposite of flat characters where we know a lot about them. Therefore, these tend to be the main characters or the character more central to the plot.
In "The Dead", the round characters are Gabriel and Gretta Conroy and Julia and Kate Morkan. The story revolves around these four characters, especially Gabriel Conroy, therefore, the reader knows a lot about them. The story takes place at a party held by two aging sisters, Julia and Kate Morkan. Gabriel Conroy, who is their favorite nephew, and his wife, Gretta, attend the party and assume important roles such as carving the goose and making speeches. All four characters are consistently mentioned throughout the story and the readers learn much about their pasts. The readers know most about Gabriel, the protagonist, because his thoughts are revealed to the reader. Towards the end of the story, Gretta reveals her tragic past about a former lover called Michael Furey, which gives the reader insight on her character. Therefore, these four characters are round characters in "The Dead".
Dynamic Characters
This is a type of character where they undergo a change or have a self-realization. This concept of self-realization is also referred to as an epiphany, which can be seen in many of James Joyce’s work.
In "The Dead", the dynamic character is the protagonist, Gabriel Conroy, because he has an epiphany or self-realization that he has littler grasp on his life and that his marriage lacks true love. Gabriel's reputation with his aunts as the nephew who takes care of everything mark him as a man of authority. However, difficult encounters with Lily and Molly Ivors during the party challenge his confidence. After the party, Gabriel tries to control his wife's 'strange feelings', but when she tells him about her first love, Michael Furey, and how he died for her, Gabriel realizes that he will never have control over her feelings and that his marriage lacks true love and passion. As Gabriel reflects on his own controlled, passionless life, he has an epiphany that life is short, and those who leave the world like Michael Furey, with great passion, in fact live more fully than people like himself.
Static characters
This type of character is opposite to a dynamic one, where they undergo no significant change.
In "The Dead", all characters except Gabriel Conroy is a static character because they appear to undergo no significant change or have an epiphany. They stay mostly consistent throughout the story and the reader can detect no signs of change.
Antagonists/Protagonists
The Protagonist is the main character of the story. Antagonists are the people or things that are in opposition to the protagonist; this is the origin of the rise of conflict in the story.
In "The Dead", the protagonist is Gabriel Conroy because the reader knows the most about him and most often, the story is narrated from his thoughts or points of view. Not only that, but at the end of the story, Gabriel experiences a self-realization or epiphany, which also makes him and his role vital to the story. From a certain perspective, Michael Furey can be seen as an antagonist because he was a person with great passion and seemingly died for true love. In contrast, Gabriel, the protagonist, is a very controlled and unpassionate character.
Characters are people based on certain characteristics that are apparent through a wide variety of texts.
Character List and Description
Kate Morkan - One of the aging sisters who throw an annual dance party in “The Dead.” Kate is
vivacious but constantly worries about her sister, Julia, and the happiness of the guests.
Julia Morkan - One of the aging sisters who throw an annual dance party in “The Dead.” Julia has a grey and sullen appearance that combines with her remote, wandering behavior to make her a figure sapped
of life.
Mary Jane Morkan - Kate and Julia's niece who is a piano teacher.
Lily - The housemaid to the Morkan sisters who rebukes Gabriel in “The Dead.”
Gabriel Conroy - The protagonist from “The Dead.” A university-educated teacher and writer, Gabriel struggles with simple social situations and conversations, and straightforward questions catch him off guard. He feels out of place due to his highbrow literary endeavors. His aunts, Julia and Kate Morkan,
turn to him to perform the traditionally male activities of carving the goose and delivering a speech at
their annual celebration. Gabriel represents a force of control in the story, but his wife Gretta’s fond and
sad recollections of a former devoted lover make him realize he has little grasp on his life and that his marriage lacks true love.
Gretta Conroy - Gabriel’s wife in “The Dead.” Gretta plays a relatively minor role for most of the story, until the conclusion where she is the focus of Gabriel’s thoughts and actions. She appears mournful and distant when a special song is sung at the party, and she later plunges into despair when she tells Gabriel the story of her childhood love, Michael Furey. Her pure intentions and loyalty to this boy unnerve Gabriel and generate his despairing thoughts about life and death.
Freddy Malins - A drunk and a friend of Gabriel's.
Mr. Browne - A friend of the Morkan sisters.
Molly Ivors - The nationalist woman who teases Gabriel during a dance in “The Dead.”
Michael Furey - Gretta Conroy’s childhood love in “The Dead” who died for her long ago.
Types of Characters
Flat Characters
These are two-dimensional characters where the reader knows little about them. Due to this, flat
characters are most likely minor characters with smaller significance to the plot.
In "The Dead", the flat characters are Mary Jane Morkan, Lily, Molly Ivors, Freddy Malins, Mr. Browne,
and Michael Furey. The readers do not know anything about these characters except who they are,
a bit of their personality, and how they relate to the protagonist of the story. Other than that, very little
information is given about them by the author.
Round Characters
These are the opposite of flat characters where we know a lot about them. Therefore, these tend to be the main characters or the character more central to the plot.
In "The Dead", the round characters are Gabriel and Gretta Conroy and Julia and Kate Morkan. The story revolves around these four characters, especially Gabriel Conroy, therefore, the reader knows a lot about them. The story takes place at a party held by two aging sisters, Julia and Kate Morkan. Gabriel Conroy, who is their favorite nephew, and his wife, Gretta, attend the party and assume important roles such as carving the goose and making speeches. All four characters are consistently mentioned throughout the story and the readers learn much about their pasts. The readers know most about Gabriel, the protagonist, because his thoughts are revealed to the reader. Towards the end of the story, Gretta reveals her tragic past about a former lover called Michael Furey, which gives the reader insight on her character. Therefore, these four characters are round characters in "The Dead".
Dynamic Characters
This is a type of character where they undergo a change or have a self-realization. This concept of self-realization is also referred to as an epiphany, which can be seen in many of James Joyce’s work.
In "The Dead", the dynamic character is the protagonist, Gabriel Conroy, because he has an epiphany or self-realization that he has littler grasp on his life and that his marriage lacks true love. Gabriel's reputation with his aunts as the nephew who takes care of everything mark him as a man of authority. However, difficult encounters with Lily and Molly Ivors during the party challenge his confidence. After the party, Gabriel tries to control his wife's 'strange feelings', but when she tells him about her first love, Michael Furey, and how he died for her, Gabriel realizes that he will never have control over her feelings and that his marriage lacks true love and passion. As Gabriel reflects on his own controlled, passionless life, he has an epiphany that life is short, and those who leave the world like Michael Furey, with great passion, in fact live more fully than people like himself.
Static characters
This type of character is opposite to a dynamic one, where they undergo no significant change.
In "The Dead", all characters except Gabriel Conroy is a static character because they appear to undergo no significant change or have an epiphany. They stay mostly consistent throughout the story and the reader can detect no signs of change.
Antagonists/Protagonists
The Protagonist is the main character of the story. Antagonists are the people or things that are in opposition to the protagonist; this is the origin of the rise of conflict in the story.
In "The Dead", the protagonist is Gabriel Conroy because the reader knows the most about him and most often, the story is narrated from his thoughts or points of view. Not only that, but at the end of the story, Gabriel experiences a self-realization or epiphany, which also makes him and his role vital to the story. From a certain perspective, Michael Furey can be seen as an antagonist because he was a person with great passion and seemingly died for true love. In contrast, Gabriel, the protagonist, is a very controlled and unpassionate character.
Back to The Dead homepage